Environment

This bill allows grocery stores to provide single-use paper bags for delivery orders (with a fee), reversing a previous prohibition that banned such bags for delivery. It requires grocery stores and other retailers to repurpose cardboard delivery boxes for reuse when feasible, instead of discarding them. The change amends New Jersey's 2020 law that previously restricted both plastic and paper carryout bags, with the exception now explicitly permitting paper bags for delivery. This policy directly affects grocery stores, delivery services, and retailers handling food deliveries.

This bill exempts New Jersey local governments from annual cleanup fees for contaminated properties they acquire through bankruptcy, tax delinquency, eminent domain, or similar involuntary means (like escheat or abandonment), or for redevelopment purposes. It applies to properties where contamination existed before the government took ownership, covering fees under the Site Remediation Reform Act and Brownfield and Contaminated Site Remediation Act. Currently, these governments are exempt from liability for past contamination but still pay annual fees; this bill removes that fee obligation. The exemption applies immediately upon enactment.

This bill requires New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to create an "Interim Alternative ZEV Compliance Program" within one year of enactment. It directly affects vehicle manufacturers by allowing them to comply with the state's Low Emission Vehicle program for model years 2027-2031 through an alternative method. Instead of meeting strict zero-emission vehicle sales quotas, manufacturers may offer dealers a portfolio of required zero-emission vehicles based on actual consumer demand, without mandating specific purchases. This alternative pathway provides manufacturers with a defense against penalties for noncompliance with the standard sales requirements.